Chef Chat, Part 1: Glen Trumble of Heights West

We sat down this week with Chef Glen Trumble of Heights West. The experienced Chef Trumble, who trained in France, now brings his culinary techniques to that hidden gem of a restaurant on Ella. Once an auto repair shop, this quaint spot now serves Southern food by day and French cuisine by night, all in a low-key, unpretentious setting. And that's just the way they like it.

EOW: How old is Heights West?

GT: We opened the first of May.

EOW: Have you enjoyed your time here at Heights West?

GT: Yeah, are you kidding? It's like opening any business, it's rough. We haven't spent a penny on advertising.

EOW: Has it been difficult getting your team in the kitchen just the way you like it?

GT: It's got to be difficult for them because I have a lot of higher standards. But now, yeah, we have a great team. I'm stunned.

EOW: Are you tough to work for?

GT: I've been told that.

EOW: What does it take for a chef to be really good in the kitchen?

GT: Observation.

EOW: Do you have fun in the kitchen, or is it all business?

GT: It's the only reason I do it, because it's fun. What happened in the United States when I was gone, the hotels and the country clubs, they took it all away. They took the fun and profit, and broke it down to just profit. It ain't fun no more. I've got a couple of chefs that are just like...they're leaving the hotels. They're going to open a little place on their own. [They] really can't even be [themselves]. That's a pity, because that reflects on the food.

And speaking of food, come back tomorrow and check out what Chef Glen Trumble is serving up at Heights West.